The Internet and Social MediaA Strategic Approach

Outline

• Introduction Bua Consulting, online business• Social media – internal and external• Provide an approach• Facilitate discussion• Generate some ideas

Social Media Landscape

It’s not just Facebook & Twitter

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And it differs from Traditional Media

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Social media is based on the integrations/conversations between different people online and for brands to become part of this they need to move from a monologue to a dialogue

Think about what people do

1. People Creating – Blogs, (blogosphere) user generated content, Podcasts, Youtube, Slideshare.net, Docstoc

2. People Connecting – Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Myspace, Bebo, Orkut, hi5, Secondlife, Foursquare

3. People Collaborating – Wikis (wikipedia), Intelpedia (internal use), Salesforce chatter, Centraldesktop, Sharepoint

4. People Reacting – Forums, discussion boards, ratings, reviews

5. People Organising – tags, Digg, De.licio.us, 6. Accelerating Consumption – RSS, Widgets

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Social Media and The Business

• Don’t start with technology• Start with the business• What is your Sustainable Competitive

Advantage (SCA)?

The POST Approach

• People• Objectives• Strategy• Technology

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People

• What groups do you want to engage with? Customer segments, end-users, partners, staff, – Discuss and list

• How do they interact with the internet?

Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators

Inactives

Publish a blogPublish your own Web pagesUpload video you created Upload audio/music you createdWrite articles or stories and post them

Post ratings/reviews of products/servicesComment on someone else’s blogContribute to online forumsContribute to/edit articles in a wiki

Use RSS feedsAdd “tags” to Web pages or photos“Vote” for Web sites online

Maintain profile on a social networking siteVisit social networking sites

Read blogsWatch video from other usersListen to podcastsRead online forumsRead customer ratings/reviews

None of the above

The Social Technographics ™ Ladder

Groups include people participating in at least one of the activities monthly.

Taken together, these groups make up the ecosystem that forms the groundswell.

By examining how they are represented in any subgroup, strategists can determine which sorts of strategies make sense to reach their customers.

Objectives

1. Listening – Use social media to better research customers and markets

2. Talking – Use social media to spread messages about your company

3. Energising – get your most enthusiastic customers to become advocates , using social media to increase word of mouth

4. Supporting – Help your customers support each other 5. Embracing – Integrate your customers into the way

your business works (e.g. Lego)

Examples

• Youtube – videos to demonstrate product quality

• Wikis – share development of documention and processes

• Tagging – access information

Strategies

• Brainstorm some strategy ideas. What are the opportunities? Thought leadership? Engaging consultants in your process? Improving internal communication?– Choose a group you’d like to engage with (internal

or external)– What is your objective?– How can social media assist you with achieving

that objective?

Conclusion

• Social Media is simply the evolution of web technologies

• It’s about two way communication• It’s not about replacing traditional sales and

marketing• Use the POST approach